BEECH GROVE, Ind. (WISH) — Beech Grove police will be using a new 8,000-square-foot training facility that’s adjacent to the city’s new police station.

The facility features an interactive training and simulation area. Police say it will allow officers to better prepare for real-world scenarios.

The facility also features a shooting range.

Deputy Chief Robert Mercuri of the Beech Grove Police Department says the facility will let his team to be better. He evoked former Iowa basketball star and Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark in his discussion of the new facility.

“Everybody wants us to be perfect. They want us to be able to shoot like Caitlin Clark. But, the reality is if you don’t train like Caitlin Clark, you can’t shoot like her. So, having a range like this allows us to get in there and train and do it on the regular basis.”

The cost of the new facility was $4.5 million, and the Beech Grove mayor says the investment was important for the city’s police officers.

Beech Grove is a city of about 14,500 residents in south and southeastern Marion County.

This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV.